A simple guide on how to make limoncello overnight! This is the perfect post-dinner sip or as a gift for others!
One of my favorite restaurants in London was this small Italian restaurant ran by an older Albanian couple nestled between Hammersmith and Standford Brook stations called Casa Mia. My friend and I discovered it when we were hunting for a flat together and needed something hearty and a couple of glasses of wine before we continued our search.
We just missed their lunch special, but the owner honored it for us anyway. There were only a few tables close together, and one larger table with benches and downstairs you could look into the small kitchen on your way to the restrooms. The restaurant was simply decorated with a few paintings and plants and the back wall was filled with their many Italian wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
Usually we only went there for lunch – it was only 5 quid and included a glass of wine, but if you had dinner, they would always offer a complementary glass of limoncello, which is an Italian tradition. We would drink our limoncello and chat with the other restaurant-goers and the waiter.
When the owners had a free moment, they would come up and tell us about their lives before moving to London and the strange things they see in the restaurant business. Casa Mia became our home away from home. Today, they have expanded and are a much larger restaurant with a whole new look, and I couldn’t be happier for them.
When I got my copy of the book, Infuse, by Eric Prum and Josh Williams and saw their recipe for overnight limoncello, I knew I needed to make it so that I could be transported back to those happy times again. I tried their recipe exactly as they state in the book and it was so delicious! It had a wonderful lemon flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. I hoped for a stronger lemon flavor that I associate with limoncello, so I decided to blend the lemon into the vodka, and also doubled the recipe so I could have more of it on-hand. It came out perfect and tasting exactly the way I imagined.
In case you were wondering, Infused is a book on infusing oils, spirits, and water with a mix of spices, herbs, and fruit. More than that, they also tell you how to infuse other things like maple syrup and teas for an extra kick of flavor. It is filled with large, beautiful photography and they provide recipes that include many of the infusions they provide.
The recipes are simple to put together and use only ingredients that are readily available in most stores which I appreciate. All the recipes are only enough to fill in a mason jar, which makes sense considering they sell their own mason jar shakers and taps. On one hand, this does make things easier to put together, but on the other, you if you want more than a mason jar’s worth of whatever it is you are infusing, you have to do some math to double or triple your recipe, which isn’t that bad, right?
How to Make Limoncello
A simple recipe for overnight limoncello
Ingredients
- 10 oz vodka
- 2 lemons, deseeded
- 10 oz simple syrup
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a blender and blend on low for about a minute, then slowly increase the speed to high and blend for another minute.
- Pour into a large mason jar, or airtight container and allow to infuse for about 12 hours at room temperature.
- Strain into an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 22 Serving Size: 1 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 54Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 0g
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Your limoncello looks wonderful. I will have to try your recipe soon. The last time I made limoncello the result tasted like cough medicine. Your looks like dessert. Yum.
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
My sister has infuse and she LOVES it! Now where is that book, I want to go make some of this….
Amanda says
I just bought more lemons to make this again. It’s so good. I’ve since made a few other things from them. It’s such a good book!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
Loving this homemade limoncello version! Perfect for all the summer cocktails we love!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
This is how easy limoncello is to make?! Why have I not made this sooner?! Cannot wait to try and your photos are beautiful!
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four says
Ooh this limoncello looks so refreshing and lovely! And I loved reading the story about the London restaurant you frequented…I love when small businesses like that turn even more successful. I got a limoncello recipe from an Italian once, but that requires a long time of infusing the alcohol with the lemons, so I’m excited to try this overnight version 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This looks amazing! I’ve never had limoncello but I have to now 🙂
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
I adore limoncello and your version is fab! My husband makes a limoncello but it has to sit for a week or so. Yours really delivers! Can’t wait for the lemons on the backyard tree to appear so I can try this version – love it!
Amanda says
Oh man, it would probably taste even better using your own lemons!! Let me know how it comes out!!
Taylor @ The Girls on Bloor says
So simple but such a great idea….I had a shot of this for the first time the other night at an Italian restaurant and was surprised how much I liked it!
Erin says
I had my first limoncello at a cute little restaurant in New York. I have been intrigued with it ever since! I cannot wait to try to make it myself – this looks like something I couldn’t mess up. 😉
Susan | LunaCafe says
This sounds so fabulous. I would love to be sipping a small glass right now. Gorgeous photos! 🙂
[email protected] says
Well this certainly looks much easier than the recipe I make all the time…must give it a try!
Amanda says
Yes, I was very impressed with their recipe. As I mentioned, you normally allow it to infuse in slices, but I wanted a bigger lemon impact
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Who knew limoncello was so easy? I totally have to try this – the perfect summer cooler!
Amaryllis @ thetastyother.coma says
Ooooh! I love this, and I bet my mom’ll love it too! She almosts always serves limoncello at the end of her dinners and it would be perfect to have a homemade version of it. Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda!
Amanda says
You’re going to love it! It’s so fresh and so delicious! I can’t stop making it! Thanks for stopping by!
Eden Passante says
So awesome! I definitely need to try this!
Amanda says
You will love it! It’s one of my favorites to make!
Haley says
How long does it last?
Amanda says
Hi Haley! I’m not really sure. Wit doesn’t last longer than a few days at my house, and the book doesn’t mention how long it lasts either. I imagine that if left in the refrigerator, it should last a few weeks
David Albrinck says
Question: does the entire lemon go in the blender? I have made limoncellos by infusing the yellow robe for several days and anxious to try this overnight recipe. Thank you.
Amanda says
Yes, from what I recall of the original recipe it’s the entire lemon. I will go back and verify for you though!
Lisa says
I would love to have that bottle and a set of the footed glasses. Where did you get?
Amanda Powell says
The bottle was from Target, but the shot glasses were from my father and he’s had them forever, I’m not sure where he got them!